Conference #2

Vineyards & Biodiversity

January 18th & 19th, 2024 – Avignon (France)

A multidisciplinary & multicultural conference to build tomorrow’s viticulture.

Tomorrow’s viticulture starts today!

Conceived as an open and transversal dialogue between science and the world of wine, this conference’s aim is to share knowledge, to highlight and share practical experiences, and to inspire new directions and perspectives.

It is dedicated to winegrowers, wine appellations, unions and interprofessional organizations, wine professionals, institutions, official bodies and organizations working for biodiversity as well as scientists, researchers and students with a link to the subject.

 

Multidisciplinary speakers

Whilst certain 20th century agronomic precepts tend to conceive nature as a free and unlimited service provider, whilst winegrowers still too often view biodiversity as an obstacle to economic development, the diverse profiles of the speakers open up new perspectives and offer a fresh overview to reflect well beyond the limits of land registers.

Open dialogue

Bilingual in French and English, Vineyards & Biodiversity is open to all wine professionals, no matter what their “(agri)cultural” background might be. The conference is not only aimed at those who already have an environmental certification, but includes everyone who wishes to move forward to a biodiversity-based, resilient, economically viable viticulture in times of dramatic biodiversity decline and climate change. The diversity of the speakers and topics allows to open up exchanges, break down boundaries, engage constructive discussions and to create a virtuous dynamic in which biodiversity becomes a collective goal and not merely an individual mission.

A committed conference

For each participant a tree will be planted in collaboration with a local association.

We say no to goodies which often end up in the trash bin shortly after being handed out…

The caterer who will delight us will use mostly eco-responsible tableware.

In support of independent bookshops, Vineyard & Biodiversity supports the bookshop L’Orange Bleue, inviting them to open a pop-up library at the Palais des Papes for the two days of the conference. Numerous books on biodiversity – both French and international – will be available for consultation and purchase on site.

Topics & Speakers

Biodiversity and its ecosystems are part of a vast dynamic that does not stop at registered or territorial boundaries.

Often unfairly considered as a constraint, it nevertheless offers key answers to current disruptions – whether climatic or ecological – while guaranteeing the continuity of a thousand-year-old cultural tradition.

The themes addressed during the conference are like biodiversity – diverse, essential, transversal and complementary – creating the first step towards the viticulture of tomorrow.

 

Valérie Lempereur

Vitilience project, a network of innovative demonstrators to improve the climate resilience of French vineyards

Régis Ambroise

Winegrowing landscapes – from before to after oil

Simon Ricard

Regenerative Hydrology – Cultivating water resilience in wine-growing ecosystems and landscapes

Léo Mariani

Eco-Anthropologist & Scientific observer of the conference

Jean-François Agut

Afternoon case study – How to move your estate towards biodiversity-based viticulture

Delphine Suzor

Bio-indicator plants: wild flora revealing the health of the soil, the vine and biodiversity

Verena Weller

Medieval viticulture – a history of social and ecological sustainability

Prof. Marc-André Selosse

Vines and fungi – from allies to pathogens

Eglantine Thiery

The benefits of complementing animal and plant production on one or more farms

Marc Birebent

The miracle of grafting

Serge Gadoum

Insect conservation for the winegrowing system

Prof. Dr. Armin Bischoff

Restoring functional biodiversity in wine-growing agro-ecosystems

Dr. Johanna Döring

The effects of different viticultural practices (conventional, organic, biody) on soil quality, plant morphology and wine quality

Alain Canet

Trees and Civilisation, the companions of humification

Laetitia Allemand

Facilitator & Time Keeper

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